2016 Eastern MA Boys XC Individual Preview (D1-D3)

MASS XC 2016 Preview


D1 INDIVIDUAL


Marcelo Rocha  SR  Peabody HS 

As a returning FootLocker finalist, Marcelo Rocha of Peabody will be the clear favorite for #1 runner in the state this fall. Claiming victory in all but one race last season, Rocha only came up short when he finished 2nd to Thomas D'Anieri at the All-State Meet. Despite the disappointing defeat, Marcelo headed to Van Cortland Park the following week and earned himself a ticket to San Diego for the FootLocker National Championship. After closing out his cross country season with a 36th-place finish at FootLocker, Rocha attacked the 2 mile during the indoor and outdoor seasons. During the winter months, the Peabody senior brought his 2-mile PR down from 9:25 to 9:14 and by the end of outdoor he had clocked in a new PR of 9:10. The cross country season is just around the corner and as it stands, we feel that Marcelo Rocha is in a class of his own and will need a mighty challenger to stop him from taking it all. 

Tristian Shelgren JR  St. John's Prep 

In the fall of 2015, Shelgren of St. John's Prep put together a very respectful sophomore campaign. At Eastern MA Champs, Tristian finished within the top 10 and closed out his season at Westfield with a 17th-place finish. The indoor season was marked by a strong showing in the mile (4:28.4) and a few 2-mile performances that hovered around the 10:00 barrier. Cue this past spring and Tristian Shelgren was a young man on another level. First race out, Shelgren dropped a big PR of 9:31.4 to take the MSTCA Frosh/Soph Large School meet. A few weeks down the road and a new mile PR under his belt (4:24.0), Tristian really shocked us when he clocked in at 9:10.4 to take 2nd in a thrilling battle with Marcelo Rocha at D1 Champs. Now entering his junior year, Shelgren will be out prove he is the real deal and up for any challenges this fall. 

Anthony Rodriguez  SR  Lowell HS 

In 2016, Anthony Rodriguez of Lowell will look to continue the tremendous championship run by the Red Raiders and end his career on a high note. For the past three years, Rodriguez has steadily rounded into one of the best runners in the state and has played an integral role in the Lowell line up. Going from 147th at the All-State Meet in 2013 to finishing a very respectable 6th place last year, Anthony should be poised for a top-5 finish this November. Certainly a very impressive progression over the course of three years, but we imagine it was all due to hard work and the dedication to the goals of his team. It also might have helped to have fellow top D1 runner and teammate Chris Polanco along for the ride the past few years. 

Andrew Mah  JR  Newton North HS 

Mah enters this cross country season after crushing it on the trails and track last year. The Newton North junior had a solid cross country season that was highlighted by a 12th-place finish at Eastern MA Champs and 28th at the All-State meet. That propelled Andrew to an indoor season that provided him a chance to drop down to 9:43.1 in the 2-mile and eventually 9:30.3 in late May at the Eastern MA D1 Champs. After such a strong outdoor season, Mah should have hit the summer training with some extra pep in his step and excited to see what he can unleash this Fall. If all goes well for the Newton harrier, we should him fighting for a top-5 spot at Eastern MA Champs and a top-10 spot in Westfield. 

Chris Polanco  SR  Lowell HS 

As the other half of the dangerous duo from Lowell, we will see Chris Polanco right alongside Anthony Rodriguez all fall. Running to 6th place at Eastern MA D1 Champs and 12th at the All-State Meet, Polanco could now realistically be after top-5 finishes at both races. Two Lowell runners in the top 5 at Eastern MA Champs and All-States? That will be one hard train to stop. The progression from last year was definitely no fluke, as the Lowell senior also dropped big PRs of 4:19 and 9:37 during the indoor and outdoor seasons. As it goes every year, Polanco and the rest of the Lowell squad will be the clear favorites in the race to the top. 


Pre-Season Eastern MA (D1) Rankings (FULL LIST)

PlaceAthleteYrTeamTimePoints
1Marcelo Rocha11Peabody15:41.701
2Anthony Rodriguez11Lowell High School15:54.172
3Chris Polanco11Lowell High School15:58.663
4Tristan Shelgren10St. John's Prep16:17.074
5Andrew Mah10Newton North High School16:24.355
6Christopher Mccaffrey11Brockton High School16:25.056
7Lucas Aramburu9Brookline High School16:28.517
8Thomas Lingard10Lexington High School16:28.538
9Vincent Brown10Weymouth High School16:42.339
10Cody Moran11Weymouth High School16:43.8710